


May Have Forgotten

by katnisskirk



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Mike has ADD, POV Mike, barely any plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-19 23:22:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1487887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katnisskirk/pseuds/katnisskirk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[[Mike POV]]<br/>Mike wakes up late and forgets to take his ADD meds. (Written during S1)</p>
            </blockquote>





	May Have Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago during like...the first season of Suits. I originally posted it on LiveJournal. Figured I'd add it here, too, since I hardly ever finish a story and like it enough to post it online.
> 
> It wasn't beta'd and like I said, I wrote it a couple years ago, so don't be too harsh. <3

When his alarm clock went off, Mike blindly hit the “off” button. He rolled onto his back, stretched out, and remained just like that, motionless for a good five minutes. Slowly, he got out of bed, still exhausted from the last few nights of working late. At least he managed to get three or so solid hours a night this week. The previous week he’d pulled two all-nighters and had to skip lunch everyday for a bit of nap-time. 

Mike’s pace was leisurely, and as he yawned and stumbled his way to his dresser, his eyes wandered to his bedside alarm clock. For a very brief moment, he was frozen, staring at the bright numbers on the clock. There wasn’t much time for this confused gawking as he quickly realized just how little time he had to get ready and bike to work.

As he rushed into his bathroom, Mike calculated a mental time schedule for himself: ten minutes in the apartment, twenty for the commute, and that left him six minutes to run to the bathroom and do something about his disheveled appearance before Harvey found him. 

Thirty-five minutes later, Mike was in the men’s bathroom and he looked more than a little hungover. Harvey would suspect the worst, of course, but Mike truthfully hadn’t been doing anything unsavory. He hadn’t had the time or the desire to drink for the past week and pot was completely, one hundred percent out of the question. He’d made a promise, to both Harvey and his grandmother, that he would stop doing drugs. 

Speaking of, he had meant to go see her this week and it’d completely slipped his mind. Mike hoped she wasn’t worried. She’d understand about work obligations; she always was patient with him, unlike Harvey who seemed to become more impatient as the week went on. God, Harvey was going to kill him if he didn’t finish that subpoena...and some other form he hadn’t heard of before. What was it? It was on his list. His long list of things he needed to get done, most of it today, most of it for Harvey. Where did he leave that anyway? His desk, he hoped.

The bathroom door squeaked open and Mike visibly flinched in surprise, and hastily leaned away from the mirror. He did a quick check of the time as he threw a thoughtless “Hey, how are you” at the other person in the room. Seeing that he was now five minutes late to his meeting with Harvey, he hurried out and speed-walked to his destination: Harvey’s office.

That was when it dawned on him—except the feeling was more horrifying, like falling down a flight of stairs, or worse, falling down a flight of stairs in front of Harvey. At this rate, Harvey was probably going to push him down some stairs. He needed to get his shit together, and fast. Mike spun around before he reached Donna’s desk, earning a curious eyebrow raise from her as he all but ran back to his own desk. Mike pulled a few drawers open carelessly, searching for the medication he kept there—just in case he was a stupid, stupid screw-up, oh, Harvey was going to be so angry with him. When he found the little bottle, he saw that it was empty, and remembered the nights he slept in the office.

Dread washed over him at the thought of seeing Harvey today. For the moment, he could pass it off on the late nights. Mike was exhausted, that was all. So long as Harvey didn’t think he was high instead. Maybe if he avoided Harvey for the rest of the day...no, he’d never get away with it. But there was still no reason to tell Harvey about his ADD, none at all. He didn’t need to know.

\-----

“Forget something?” Donna questioned as he approached Harvey’s door for the second time that morning. She was grinning when Mike chanced a glance at her.

“Y—No...I’ve got it.” He waggled the file he was carrying at her on the off-chance she hadn’t noticed he was carrying it the first time.

“Go ahead then. He’s been waiting for you.”

Shit, shit. Mike let out a shaky breath and went in, immediately feeling a bit choked by the intensity of Harvey’s glare.

Just explain what happened. Calmly explain. “Uh, sorry—I forgot to grab this, the files you needed, from my desk on my way in. So I had to go back and that’s why I’m late.”

Harvey didn’t speak for a long time, instead flipping through some papers on his desk. Mike’s gaze roamed around the room, settling on the view granted by the windows for a few seconds before snapping back to Harvey. Mike tensed when the man looked up at him, expression still unreadable but for anger. 

“Here. I’ll take it.”

“I really am sorry, Harvey. I didn’t—”

“Save it,” Harvey cut him off, roughly pulling the folder of papers from Mike’s outstretched hand. 

“Harvey—”

He glanced up and Mike prepared himself as best he could for the harsh words he expected to hear. Instead, Harvey set down the folder and came around his desk to face Mike.

“What? If you’re not going to yell at me, I have work to do. For you, mostly, as a matter of fact.”

Mike looked out at Donna, working busily at her desk, then in the direction of his own desk, and beyond to where the other associates worked. 

Harvey’s next words were quiet, somehow hardly audible but thoroughly conveying Harvey’s displeasure. “Is there something you want to tell me, Mike?”

Mike knew he meant pot. Knew that Harvey wouldn’t believe him if he denied it, but was going to try anyway, when Louis walked in. 

“Louis, what—” Harvey began, annoyed. 

“Shut up, Harvey.” Louis shoved a folder into Mike’s hands before explaining. “Jessica is letting me pass this one on to you two, since I’ve got bigger, better things to do than handle another pro bono.” 

And then he was gone in a whirlwind of jealous smugness, just as quickly as he had come.

Mike watched him go, noticing Donna’s sneer as Louis passed her. Harvey shot her a look and Mike saw this, too. He waited for Harvey to say something, but the room was filled by a heavy silence.

“You want this one, too?” Mike asked, holding out the folder. They were nearly finished with the previous case. All that was left were some papers that needed to be signed and Harvey would take care of that today, for certain.

Harvey took the folder from Mike, no more gentle than he’d been with the first folder. “Go drink some water, Mike.” 

He protested, wanting, _needing_ Harvey to believe him. “Harvey, it’s not what you think. I’m not high.”

It was pointless and he knew it. Harvey ignored him and returned to his chair, so Mike turned and walked out, failing to avoid a disheartened glance at Donna as he passed. He needed to focus. He had work to do, after all. Work he was going to have an incredibly hard time finishing after another hour or so without his meds, but he couldn’t leave now. There was so much he had to get done by lunchtime and there’d be more to do by the day’s end knowing Louis. He couldn’t count on lunch to go home, either, assuming Harvey wanted to get started on the pro bono case right away. 

It didn’t matter if the only way to go home and get what he needed was to tell Harvey. Mike didn’t particularly care for Harvey’s attitude when it came to personal matters. As much as he admired Harvey, and as much as he enjoyed his company (most of the time), Mike knew better than to spill his secrets to Harvey. Harvey didn’t care much about secrets or feelings as far as anyone else was concerned.

\---- 

It wasn’t until after 3:00 PM that Mike finished the files Harvey had given him. Harvey could have passed most of them on to other associates, but he gave them to Mike—because “he needed the practice.” Mike wouldn’t argue with that, considering he’d spent half the morning on Google clicking through page after page of mostly relevant information before resorting to begging Rachel for help. She’d said no, but twenty minutes later, she wordlessly dropped a stack of legal books on his desk. That woman had no idea how big a favor those books were. For one, they were significantly less distracting than the Internet. 

Not so surprisingly, after their disagreement this morning, Mike heard and saw nothing of Harvey all day. Not a word from Donna either. So when he made the trip to Harvey’s office, Mike felt almost as awkward as he had his first day at Pearson Harden. Donna gave him her signature, judgmental look, like she could tell something was up, but didn’t comment. Sometimes, she wasn’t so bad.

As Mike entered Harvey’s office, he saw the look on his face, and immediately began babbling apologies. Harvey was still pissed off and Mike didn’t know what more to say, to explain...

So he just...said everything he could think of. Naturally, it turned into a bunch of nonsense. Mike realized too late how little sense his thoughts would made to an outside observer. 

“Before you start yelling—I didn’t mean to be late today. You already know that, I guess. But you’ve been giving me so much work, I haven’t slept much and—wait, I’m not complaining about it at all! I mean—I got everything done. It wasn’t so bad actually. You know, considering. I know how to fill out all these forms now so it won’t take so long next time. Rachel gave me a few books. It’s all done right, too. I double-checked everything. I did your—your assignments first and left Louis’ briefs for later. You know, would it kill you to give me a little more time the next time you decide to hand me half a month’s work of paperwork? I don’t think it would, Harvey. Hey. Why aren’t you saying anything? …Oh, right.”

Harvey was flat out staring at him now. His expression had shifted from angry to confused at some point during Mike’s soliloquy. 

Mike shifted uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at Harvey. It was a few more seconds before Harvey announced their meeting with the pro bono client was in fifteen minutes. Donna was calling to confirm it. 

“Hey, Harvey?” Mike said, quieter now.  

Harvey looked up from his desk, impatient, but curious.

“Your tie is crooked.”

At that, Harvey muttered a few not-so-nice words. “Get out, Mike. Go do whatever Louis is having you do, but be back in ten minutes. And don’t be late this time. I’m your boss, not Louis.” 

Mike blinked a few times, tearing his eyes away from the spines of books on the shelf behind Harvey’s desk and trying to make sense of what he’d managed to catch of Harvey’s little speech. 

“What?”

Harvey frowned, but repeated himself anyway. This time, Mike made an honest effort to focus on him only, but ended up seeing a bird fly past the window. And there was a coffee stain on the rug by Harvey’s desk. How unlike Harvey, to have a stain in his office.

“You have a stain on your rug? I guess I was wrong about you, Harvey.”

“Mike. Leave.”

On his way out, Mike watched through the glass as Harvey shook his head, carefully adjusted his tie, and slid his trashcan with his foot to cover the stain.

\----

The meeting didn’t turn out well. Mike could not, for all he was worth, concentrate on the case. He didn’t read the files Harvey dropped on the table in front of him at the meeting’s start. Instead, he thoroughly inspected each piece of paper. After five useless minutes of that, he could safely say they were legitimate documents. No worries there.

Once the meeting started, Mike watched Harvey speak. He couldn’t listen. No amount of forcing on his part was going to work, so he figured he might as well enjoy the show while he could. When the women, their client, spoke, Mike watched Harvey watch her. The man remained impassive throughout, not once cracking a smile at her jokes, or frowning at her sad story. If Mike hadn’t thrown a few glances at the women, he would have had no idea she was crying. He awkwardly patted her arm, even though he hadn’t been listening, because he knew not to expect any support from Harvey.

The woman, Ms. Shaw was her name, resumed her story and Mike’s concentration floated back to Harvey. He didn’t hide the fact that his attention was solely on Harvey—mostly because it didn’t cross his mind to try. That was until Harvey glanced at Mike, probably to make sure he was paying attention, and caught him eying his blue silk tie. 

Mike tried to convince himself that this was no worse than that time in high school when he got caught staring at the student teacher’s very noticeable cleavage, but it was. It was so much worse. This was Harvey, Senior Partner. His boss. His almost friend. So, so much worse.

For a moment, Harvey looked confused. Just as Mike thought he was going to smile, Harvey shook his head and turned back to the client to address the merits of the case. 

Mike remembered her mentioning an ice cream stand in her story and Harvey repeating the words “ice cream stand?” like it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. Apart from that and the general idea behind the case, his recollection of the details was hazy at best.

It had been a while since he was without his medication and if Harvey knew he had ADD, it’d be more than obvious to him that Mike was no longer used to having focus issues. Actually, he was rather accustomed to being amazingly focused, which would make the ADD a bigger surprise for anyone who didn’t know—which was most people. 

Once Mike had completely zoned out during the meeting, Harvey ended it on the spot, apologizing to the client for his behavior. He told her they’d get back to her for a second meeting very soon and ushered her out. 

For the next few minutes, Harvey was angrily pacing the meeting room and lecturing Mike on behavioral standards.

Mike was hardly paying attention. He saw someone watching from a desk nearby, then his eyes followed a person who was watching as they walked by. He stared at the man’s battered briefcase and wondered what had happened to it and why he hadn’t simply bought a new one, rather than waste duct tape on the wreckage.

He accidentally tuned Harvey’s lecture out, something he’d done a lot as a teenager, before he knew about his ADD. 

“Mike!” Harvey shouted, his frustration clear as the cloudless sky Mike had just been gazing at. He was no longer allowing himself to look at Harvey. It was much too hard to stop.

Mike looked up, startled. 

He was greeted by Harvey’s scowl and a tense silence. Not sure what to say, Mike tried, “What?”

“ _What?_ Are you kidding me, Mike? You haven’t been listening to a word I’m saying. I don’t know what your problem is today, but you said you’re not high, and I’m willing to believe you. Am I wrong in doing that?”

“No. No! You’re not. I just—I’m tired and having a hard time focusing?” It sounded closer to a question than an answer, and it was then that Mike knew Harvey _would_ get the truth out of him—and soon.

\----

After Mike’s less than skillful lie, Harvey said nothing. To Mike’s dismay, he was shaking his head again. His disapproval and disappointment were obvious even before he left the room without saying anything. It seemed these were the only feelings Harvey ever showed around Mike. But Mike knew he was partially to blame, considering it was his lies that caused Harvey’s annoyance in the first place. He wasn’t making it any easier for Harvey to stop being...Harvey...and try to care about someone _else_ for once.

Mike wasn’t sure how long he’d stood there in the meeting room, blankly staring at the wall as his mind cycled through a million different thoughts, mostly about his boss. Yesterday, he wouldn’t have admitted that. Not even to himself. But today, with even more than usual going on in his head, it was nearly impossible to selectively suppress certain...thoughts. 

After ending his musing session, Mike hurried down the hall to Harvey’s office. By now, it was well after 5:00 PM and presumably Harvey had sent Donna home early because she wasn’t at her desk and her computer was turned off. So Mike didn’t have to wait to enter Harvey’s office and he was too antsy to let himself hesitate for more than just a second in the doorway. 

Once inside, Mike ventured to keep his attention on Harvey, but not so much that it bordered on invasive. But it was one or the other for Mike at this point. He either focused solely on Harvey or he completely ignored him. 

Thinking it the better of the two possibilities, he let his gaze search the room instead of his boss, which revealed a stack of books in the corner by the bookshelf, a fairly large chip in the paint on the wall to the left of Harvey’s desk...and then he was staring out the window again. Why was the city so much better when viewed from above?

But who was Mike kidding? He knew exactly the real reason he refused to pay Harvey any attention—at least, attention that the man would be aware of (he couldn’t hear Mike’s thoughts). It wasn’t because he was afraid Harvey would catch him looking. Actually, it was the complete opposite of that. 

It was because Harvey wouldn’t look at him. He hadn’t so much as glanced up, to Mike’s knowledge, since his associate had entered the room.

The window it was then.

**\---**

“Mike,” Harvey said abruptly, catching his associate’s attention quickly for the first time all day.

“Sorry,” Mike responded almost immediately, as if on autopilot, except for how _sincere_ he sounded. 

Just that one word and Harvey was considering forgiving him? That didn’t make any sense at all, given the number of times Mike had said the word “sorry” today. None of _those_ times had made Harvey any happier with his sometimes insubordinate associate.

“What for? Not simply telling me what was going on with you before it became obvious? Or was that the long overdue apology for your lack of common sense?” 

Harvey had been considering Mike’s problem all day, using what he’d gathered from their conversations to reach a conclusion he was satisfied with. 

“I—wait, obvious? What do you mean by that?”

Harvey smiled, enjoying Mike’s surprise. The kid had way too much confidence in his ability to hide the truth. Especially around lawyers. It didn’t help that he was a terrible liar to begin with.

“I mean I already know your little secret. The reason you’ve been spacing out all day.”

“I haven’t been spac—”

“Honestly, Mike? It’s okay. It’s not a big deal. Forget whatever absurd idea you have in your head and tell me the truth.”

Despite it all, Mike was still trying to lie. Harvey couldn’t say he was surprised, or that he wouldn’t do the same thing in Mike’s position. He’d just do it better. 

Mike sighed and went to the window, across the room from Harvey. But Harvey wouldn’t have it. As long as he worked for Harvey, Mike wasn’t going to avoid his responsibility to the truth. 

When Harvey stood up and crossed his office, Mike looked up and stared at him. He’d been doing this on and off all day and seemed to think Harvey hadn’t noticed. He certainly had.

It was silent as Harvey stared at Mike staring at him. Eventually, Harvey had to smile because it required too much effort to hide it. Mike smiled too, if a little concerned. 

“I told you I woke up late this morning…,” he started, eyes widening when Harvey stepped closer.

“Go on.”

“So I was rushed and—and…,” he seemed to lose his train of thought momentarily as Harvey took another step nearer.

“I forgot to take my ADD pill,” he finished in a rush as Harvey made his intentions crystal clear by running his fingers through Mike’s short hair.

“You don’t keep any extras here?”

“I do.”

“But you used them already." 

Mike nodded, started to smile, so Harvey kissed him.

And when Mike pulled away, his eyes searching Harvey’s face, Harvey kissed him again—harder and with less restraint. It must have been all the reassurance Mike needed because he was suddenly vying for control. 

Afterwards, when Harvey went to his desk and started packing up his things, Mike tentatively broke the silence. “Uh, Harvey? Does this mean I can go home early?” 

“Go grab your bag. We’re leaving right now.”

His eyes widened with his smile. “Oh.” 

\---

As it turned out, kissing Mike was a brilliant idea, as were many of Harvey’s hunches. 

Still, Harvey didn’t mean to kiss him the first time. He’d wanted to for a while now, sure, but that alone didn’t make it a good idea. He knew desires often resulted in unreasonable actions and Harvey was nothing if not reasonable...but boy did Harvey have desires.

So what if those desires were all Mike-centric? And what if the second time, the second time and all the times after that, he did mean to kiss his associate? He didn’t regret it, wasn’t ashamed of it. Mike might look and act childish, but when it came to kissing, he was experienced. Over-qualified better explained it, because Harvey suddenly had quite a few less than appropriate images floating around in his head that didn’t involve any _reserved_ kissing. 

Apparently, Mike did, too, because alone in Mike’s apartment, his medication forgotten, Mike seemed to have no trouble focusing on Harvey.


End file.
